Werewolves of Berlin
by StormWolf91
Summary: Whenever Gilbert locked himself in his room, he was usually up to something; Ludwig knew that. But this time it was just ridiculous. One-shot story about werewolves. No yaoi.


_**APH: Werewolves of Berlin**_

Ludwig scowled as a series of loud bangs emanated from the second floor directly overhead. It was going on for the last ten minutes, and it was really getting on his nerves. What on earth was Gilbert doing up there? Moving furniture? Knowing him, something told Ludwig that the reason was far more absurd.

The German went upstairs and approached his older brother's bedroom door. "Hey, Gilbert! Quit it!" he made his point by harshly bringing his fist down on the wood.

"Don't come in!" Gilbert's voice sounded. It sounded rather strained, and deeper than normal.

Ludwig pressed his ear to the door. More banging and noise kept coming from the other side. He tried the handle, but it was locked. Ludwig sighed and reared back, sharply kicking the door open.

Gilbert's room didn't look out of the ordinary, save for the large bed turned on its side and a fallen wardrobe closet. Gilbird, the albino man's pet chick, was perched on top of the bookcase, regarding the scene with curious eyes. A recognizable bit of white hair was visible behind the bed. "Gilbert, what are hiding for? We're the only ones in the house and I know it's you", Ludwig asked, frustrated. "Ahh, no reason, West. But can you get out? Like right now?" Gilbert's voice was impatient, almost a snarl. "Not until you tell me what all that noise was- _scheisse_!" Ludwig jumped back after he peered over the side of the side of the bed.

This… creature was huge, nearly eight feet tall, with its head brushing the ceiling as it stood up. It had the bulk to match, with powerful muscles under its thick, snow colored fur. A long tail tipped with gray swished back and forth warily. Its hands were paw-like, and hooked black claws protruded from the thick fingers. The head resembled a wolf's, and its eyes were a deep shade of red. Just like Gilbert's eyes.

"…Gilbert?" Ludwig stammered, trying to register what he was seeing. He immediately took the .45 caliber pistol holstered under his jacket in a death grip.

The Prussian slumped his furry shoulders. "Ja, it's me, bro. And that gun won't do anything, so I wouldn't use it unless you want to wake up the neighborhood", he spoke. Ludwig frowned, loosening his hold on the weapon. "How do I know you're not a danger to me, then?" he demanded. "Unless you drank the last beer in the house, I won't touch you, West", Gilbert retorted, showing a mouthful of sharp fangs as he grinned.

"That's not funny, brother. You're a… a…" Ludwig trailed off. "Yeah, I'm a werewolf. You know the stories, right?" Gilbert answered. Ludwig nodded slowly.

"Of course you do. We read them all the time together when you were a kid. But in reality, the type of werewolf I am is not dangerous, unless I'm provoked. All of those stories and fairytales condemning wolves are based on ridiculous fear-based stereotypes and superstitions. Even when I was the Teutonic Knights 800 years ago, I thought those beliefs were silly. I still retain all of my reasoning and morality when I change, and I can control the wolf instincts and transformation. I admit that I have less control during the full moon, and when my emotions get the better of me. As for all the banging, I tend to lose it a bit when I shift in a closed space like this. Sorry about that."

"Your passion and emotions take over all the time, Gilbert, so how come I, or anyone else, haven't seen you change yet? Especially since we've been living together for the past 21 years", Ludwig questioned skeptically. "I can't shift in the daytime or during the new moon, for one thing. Second, 900 years of life has given me plenty of time to gain control over my condition. Here, I'll prove it". Gilbert raised his left hand and tilted his head to the side, looking at the bookcase.

Gilbird flapped his tiny wings as the chick settled down on his companion's shoulder. "See? He knows I'm the same guy underneath all this fur", the albino proclaimed as Gilbird chirped.

"…How did you even become a werewolf?" the German asked in disbelief.

"I think it had something to do with coming into being without a heart, since I only represented a group of people at the time, not a country. My heart came later in the form of Konigsberg, and then Berlin."

"You were the personification of a Roman Catholic order. How could you be born as a creature the church tried to eradicate?" Ludwig was slightly puzzled.

"Maybe it was a result of the 'witch-hunt' crazes." Gilbert speculated. "Pagans, witches, demons, werewolves, vampires, anything the church considered a threat against its doctrines began to consume the public's thoughts. It just affected me in a weird way. I know it's confusing, but there's not much I can do about it".

"Is this a curse, Gilbert?" Ludwig ventured.

"Some people call it that, but I think it's pretty awesome. I feel like I can do anything in this body. I probably could, since I'm virtually indestructible. And now I'm part of Germany, too, so that's an added benefit."

"Are there any other werewolves around?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Probably, but they're rare. They're not exactly walking around strutting their stuff, you know."

"What about nations?" Ludwig continued. He found it hard to imagine Francis and Roderich looking like this, but Elizaveta, Vash, and Ivan were much easier to picture.

"I'm not really sure. If some of them are werewolves, they never bothered to tell me. …But I don't have to be the only one who's left out."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I could bite you, and make you a werewolf as well. But I won't do that unless you want me to", Gilbert said slowly. "You can think about it for as long as you want, and I don't want to put any pressure on you, West. In fact, this whole thing must be a little unnerving for you, so I'm going to change back."

Ludwig watched, fascinated, as the enormous werewolf fluidly shrank into the familiar form of his older brother. The younger German noticed several remnants of the transformation. Gilbert's nails were long and sharp, while he had a bit of facial hair lining his jaw. But the most astounding thing was his physique. Gilbert had always been lean, but now he was just plain ripped.

The Prussian smirked at his brother's surprised, almost jealous, expression. "The muscles are only temporary. They fade back to normal within a day or two". He hastily grabbed a pair of dark blue pants lying on the floor and pulled them on.

"But the strength does not", Ludwig remarked. "Nope. After the bite, your senses and strength are permanently enhanced", Gilbert replied, walking over to his wardrobe and turning it right side up again.

Ludwig sat down at Gilbert's desk and carefully pondered his options. Such thoughts have never occurred to him, but the offer was enticing. As a national personification, he would be invulnerable to the fatal weaknesses a traditional werewolf had to avoid. With that kind of strength, he would never lose another battle, should things come to that. There were also the added benefits of improved senses, endurance and agility. All of this, and he could still retain his human mind? Many people would have jumped at the opportunity.

Still, he was worried about losing himself to the werewolf's bestial nature (and the desire to become the alpha) when he shifted for the first time. …But Gilbert had centuries of experience, and could teach him how to control those forces. Ludwig was a quick learner, so he hoped it would not take too long.

After several minutes, he stood up. "Bite me. I'll do it", Ludwig spoke resolutely.

Gilbert smiled, and re-shifted in the space of two minutes. He bent down and gripped Ludwig's arms tightly. The blonde man realized that he couldn't move at all. "Wait…will it hurt?" Ludwig asked, trying to keep his voice strong. "I'm afraid so, but you'll get used to it after a while", his brother answered. "All right, just get it over with", Ludwig sighed.

Gilbert promptly sunk his fangs into Ludwig's shoulder. True to his word, it hurt like hell. After a few seconds, it faded into a painful throbbing sensation. Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief when he finally felt the teeth retract from his flesh.

"You all right, West?" Gilbert asked with concern, licking the wounds gently. Ludwig nodded. "I've had worse injuries. …A bite is not a problem for me", he replied through clenched teeth. Ludwig attempted to stand up straight, even though his legs were wobbly and the room seemed to spin.

"We'd better get out of here", Gilbert warned. He led his brother downstairs, grabbing the car keys and a t-shirt as he took on human form again. He put his shirt on before opening the front door and heading into the garage. Ludwig collapsed in the passenger seat as Gilbert started the car. Neither of them spoke until they reached the autobahn.

Gilbert looked out at the road. "I wish it wasn't a ten hour drive to the Black Forest. It's magnificent at this time of night", he remarked. Ludwig nodded weakly. He had broken out in a cold sweat, and he was shaking like he had developed a fever. "I thought it wouldn't hurt so much", he mumbled, drawing his jacket around his body. "Relax, it'll stop after a while", Gilbert soothed, running his fingers through his brother's hair.

After half an hour, Gilbert pulled onto an exit leading into the forest, then off the road altogether. He parked about twenty yards away from a small clearing, and stepped out of the car. Ludwig followed, albeit slower and more carefully.

Gilbert grabbed an empty backpack from the trunk and got undressed, tossing his clothes and shoes inside. Ludwig looked away, slightly embarrassed. "It's better than having your clothes all torn up", the Prussian snorted, dropping the backpack at his brother's feet. Ludwig rolled his eyes and, ignoring the chilly November wind, proceeded to remove his own clothing.

He stood there with his arms folded, trying to act as if this type of situation was normal. The cold air made him feel slightly refreshed, and the vertigo was starting to leave. Ludwig looked up at the sky, trying to ignore the draining ache that was pulsing through his body. It was three days after the first quarter, and the moon was slowly growing full again. He closed his eyes and started to relax; the moon shining down on him emanated a feeling of safety and understanding.

Ludwig suddenly gasped as a series of convulsions hit him. He fell to his knees, groaning in pain.

It was starting.

"Don't worry, Ludwig. It'll be over in a few minutes", Gilbert put a hand on the blonde's shoulder in a reassuring gesture, directly on the spot where he was bitten.

Ludwig wrenched his eyes shut, bracing himself. He felt his limbs growing longer as they swelled with muscle. The bone structure of his feet remained humanoid, but jagged black claws burst from his toes. Ludwig opened his eyes again and stared at his changing body with curiosity. A thick coat of blonde fur spread across his chest and stomach, moving down his back, his legs and around his arms. A tail snaked its way out of the base of his spine, covered in the same type of fur. His fingers grew thicker as paw pads formed on the palms and tips, while his nails sharpened into claws. He winced as his jaws began to ache. His mouth and nose rearranged themselves into a canine's muzzle, and his teeth were replaced with powerful fangs. Finally, his ears moved to the top of his head, stretching into a triangular shape.

"This is… this is incredible", Ludwig spoke, raising his arms and examining them. He reached back and looked at his tail, feeling it twitch slightly in his paws.

Gilbert regarded the new werewolf with admiration before transforming himself. "I told you it was awesome", he said. Although the albino was usually skinnier and shorter than his younger brother, it was quite the opposite now. Gilbert was nearly a foot taller and maybe 100 pounds heavier. However, Ludwig wasn't afraid of that anymore. In fact, he was rather excited about tonight.

"C'mon, West! You've got a new world to experience", Gilbert barked enthusiastically, crouching down on all fours.

The two of them sprinted through the woods, easily avoiding the trees that grew close together and the fallen logs on the leaf covered ground. Ludwig was surprised that he was able to keep up. Despite his improved vision, the feeling was still new to him. Everything was going by so fast that he had difficulty seeing was what around him. He nearly tripped and fell when he noticed that his brother had stopped next to a hiking trail. The German slowed his pace, getting a clearer view of his surroundings as he walked towards the path.

Gilbert licked his lips as he sniffed the air. "There are some deer a mile away. Wanna get a midnight snack?" he offered. "It's not even 10 o'clock yet", Ludwig replied flatly. "I don't care about the time until the sun starts rising. And that's about 8 hours from now. Let's go!" Gilbert nipped Ludwig's ear. The latter bristled in annoyance, but before he could do anything, Gilbert was out of sight.

The older werewolf didn't have the chance to shift in weeks, so all of this energy was built up inside him, just waiting to be unleashed. Sometimes he waited this long on purpose, and when the time came, Gilbert was all too eager in yielding to his other half and lurking through the dark like the superior predator he truly was. Nights like these belonged to him.

From the corner of his sharp eyes, he saw Ludwig catching up from several meters back. Gilbert felt somewhat relieved that his younger brother allowed the bite. If he hadn't, Gilbert was unsure of how Ludwig would cope with the situation, or for how long. For all he knew, the German might have accepted it just to prove that he wasn't scared. Of course, Gilbert always thought that was one of his best traits. Then there was the possibility that Ludwig thought Gilbert was lonely and in need of a pack mate- or someone to keep him in line and out of trouble. The Prussian smiled a bit at this last thought. _That_ sounded more like West.

Within a few minutes, they came across a large field with six deer walking around in it. All of that live, succulent meat made Ludwig's stomach rumble. He slowly stalked forward on all fours before springing at the closest deer. The woodland animal swiftly leaped out of the way, attempting to reach the edge of the forest to hide. The werewolf was only toying, though. With a sudden burst of speed, he tackled the deer and crushed its neck in his jaws.

Gilbert reared up and approached on his hind legs. "You're good at this already, West", he remarked, regarding the food with hungry eyes. Ludwig snarled as he stood over his kill with all of his fur on end. "Get your own." He tore a large chunk of meat from the deer's flank and started gnawing on it. "Whoa, a little territorial, are we? Fine, fine, I can see you don't wanna share", the elder laughed.

Gilbert's ears suddenly twitched and he rushed into the forest. A loud racket of rustling bushes and snapping branches came from the surrounding woods, followed by an inhuman roar. The Prussian werewolf emerged after a few minutes of silence, dragging his fallen prey by the legs. "I couldn't be bothered with stealth tonight, but I'm still the better hunter", he boasted, deliberately dropping the nine-point buck a few feet in front of his younger brother. "Show-off", Ludwig grunted. "What? I'm starved", Gilbert replied in defense before ravenously digging into the deer's underbelly.

It wasn't long until the deer carcasses were reduced to a mess of bones, hair and discarded organs. Ludwig sat upright, reflecting on the life-changing events he went through in the past few hours. He didn't know where Gilbert went off to, but the silence gave him some much-needed time to think.

He got to his feet and looked around, his older brother was nowhere to be seen, and he couldn't detect a scent because a strong breeze was blowing all over the place. He decided to practice switching forms, and concentrated on a mental image of himself. Short blonde hair, blue eyes, a stern face. He pictured the usual outfit he wore as well, despite the obvious fact that clothing wouldn't materialize on his body afterward.

Ludwig felt his limbs and torso shorten, while the fur slowly receded back into his skin. The claws shrank back into fingernails, while his ears contorted into their original shape. He tried not to scream in pain as he lost his muzzle and tail, though. As they pushed into his body, it felt like someone took a sledgehammer to his face and spine. Thankfully, that didn't last too long.

He stood there, naked, but human. He looked at his hands, and saw that his nails had grown into sharp, inch-long points. He felt his face, reminding himself that he would need to shave tomorrow morning. There was also a slight increase in body hair on his chest, forearms and lower legs. It was no secret that Ludwig had developed an impressive build from a strict regimen of exercise and combat training, but even he was shocked at the change to his human body. Nevertheless, the German felt a pleased smirk on his face at the improvement.

He proceeded to explore the woods around the field instead of just sitting around and waiting for Gilbert to show up.

Then again, he didn't see this coming.

Something akin to a wrecking ball jumped down from the trees, and Ludwig was seeing stars as he was knocked to the ground. He shuddered with genuine fear as his assailant held him down, preventing any chance of escape. He didn't even think about transforming in order to fight.

"Gotcha!" Gilbert's voice howled in triumph. "Argh! Will you get off me? You weigh a ton and you nearly gave me a damn heart attack!" Ludwig yelled furiously. "You were paralyzed with fright, West. And the wind was blowing in a direction that you couldn't find my scent on. That won't do you any good if I were an enemy", the Prussian chastised. "You told me that werewolves were rare, so who else would it be?" the blonde shot back. Gilbert stood up with a huff as Ludwig got to his feet, dusting himself off.

Gilbert sat back on his haunches, tilting his head to the side. "You've managed to change back, and I'm glad you're learning this quickly on your own. But I want to see you transform again. You're able to do it yourself, now that you went through the first shift."

Ludwig muttered something in reply. He didn't want to let Gilbert know, but he was still apprehensive about shape-shifting, especially twice in one night. He also knew that his brother was hard to argue with.

He stood still and took a deep breath before slowly letting his other half take over. It didn't hurt this time, and it took longer. But it was eventually finished, and Ludwig stood as a werewolf.

A low growl rumbled deep in his chest as he glared at Gilbert. After Ludwig's second transformation, it was harder for him to control his wolfish instincts. These instincts just happened include defending his territory that Gilbert- a larger werewolf possibly seeking dominance- was intruding on. The growl became a roar as the beast within made itself known.

Gilbert roared back, hoping that his brother would get the message and back off from a confrontation.

But Ludwig did not heed the warning and sprang at Gilbert, who crouched down to avoid him. He wheeled around just as Ludwig tried to attack again. "Calm down, Ludwig! It's me- Gilbert!" the Prussian exclaimed. Ludwig lunged for his brother's neck with all of his fangs bared. He missed, but his teeth latched onto Gilbert's left arm, causing the other to howl in pain.

He pried the werewolf's jaws apart before throwing Ludwig into a large tree nearby. The impact shocked him a bit, so he just lay slumped against the trunk as Gilbert restrained him. "Look, I'm your brother! You don't want to hurt me, right? Control yourself, Germany. You're more sensible than this."

At the sound of his real name, Ludwig's eyes started to clear a bit as he shook his head. His expression slowly changed from anger to surprise as he realized what he tried to do. "I'm sorry, Gilbert. …This is what I was afraid of. I didn't hurt you, did I?" He looked down in apology.

"It's all right, Ludwig. You didn't hurt me too much. Still, I didn't expect you to give in so easily after the second transformation. You'll have to work on keeping your human mind dominant", Gilbert replied. "I understand. Trust me when I say that I will strive to do that next time. …You can let go of me, now." the German sighed. "That's a good boy", Gilbert reached out and scratched Ludwig behind the ears.

As the night progressed, Ludwig was starting to lose track of the time. Truth be told, he didn't really want the sun to rise. "How far have we gone?" he wondered, leaning against a tree.

"…We've been heading east all night, so we're close to the Polish border", Gilbert responded. "3 months ago, I ran south until I reached Dresden. I love running around on the rooftops over there. I'm always exhausted afterwards, but it's worth it."

"That was the reason you looked like a zombie when you came home that one morning? You slept all day; and I thought you went for drinks without me", Ludwig said. "Ahhh, West, you know I'd never do something so stupid! I mean- who drinks like that alone unless they have some serious problems?" Gilbert joked. "Well, you won't be prowling around the cities anymore, especially when I'm around. What if someone sees you?" Ludwig scolded. "I've been lucky so far. But admit that it sure was tempting to give a few people a good scare once or twice", his older brother answered. "I won't allow that, either", the German said sternly.

"Seriously? I can already see the look on Roderich's face when we show up-"  
>"No, Gilbert."<br>The Prussian's ears flattened against his head in disappointment. "Maybe you're right. It will take too long to reach Vienna at this rate."  
>"Don't even think about it."<p>

The sky was growing lighter, and the sun would be up soon. Gilbert frowned. "I can't believe the night's over already", he lamented.

"Let's go. I don't want to spend half the morning walking around naked in a forest. Can you imagine what would happen if we were seen?"

"A camera full of blackmail?"

"Ja. Don't remind me", Ludwig sprinted in the opposite direction, followed by his brother.

Ludwig noticed that he was getting slower as the sun rose, and as he approached the familiar clearing, he felt himself reverting back to human form. Before he knew it, he tripped and fell flat on his face due to his shrinking limbs. Ludwig groaned in frustration.

"You should have slowed down. The car is only 50 meters away", a now-human Gilbert spoke, trying not to laugh as he pulled his brother to his feet.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ludwig grumbled, dusting himself off as they approached the car. "Pfft, definitely. I haven't had this much fun in years", Gilbert said. He took the backpack out of the car, donning the clothes he had from last night. He started the car as Ludwig got dressed.

Ludwig reclined in his seat, closing his eyes. In an hour, he had to be in his office at the Reichstag. …It was going to be a long day.

Gilbert looked at his brother with a mischievous smile.

"Same time next week?"

THE END?

**11/6/2011- 11/15/2011 (writing on and off)**

…**I have no idea- I was bored, I swear XD**

**This (surprisingly) turned out to be the longest of my Hetalia stories. And Mr. Himaruya drew Germany in a werewolf costume for Halloween 2010, so why not? I couldn't resist throwing Prussia into the mix as well, because something tells me he'd have so much fun with this LOL**

**Actually, these works were the main inspirations (aside from my own wishful thinking that it was still Halloween)- ****.com/art/My-Werewolf-Definition-160207309?q=gallery%3Alazywolf%2F6666147&qo=18****.com/art/Bitten-93232074?q=gallery%3Alazywolf%2F6666147&qo=20****.com/gallery/26232703?offset=216#/d2x50uc****.com/gallery/?set=25235659&offset=72#/d4c8zxg**

**Granted, the last two stories I mentioned are about vampires, but I give credit where it is due ;)**

**Hetalia & its characters © Hidekaz Himaruya **

"**Werewolves of Berlin" story © Yours Truly**


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